SALEM, MA – Traffic crashes have affected families and communities across Salem, including 39 fatal or severe injury crashes in the city between 2019 and 2023. Through funding from a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning grant, Salem is developing a Safety Action Plan (SAP) to guide future safety investments in the City. This SAP will identify priority locations improvements and make recommendations for infrastructure, policy, and other improvements to help make Salem’s roads safer for all road users. Once the plan is completed, the City will be eligible for additional funding to implement recommendations.
The SS4A SAP is a City-sponsored initiative to create a community-supported Action Plan for street safety improvements in Salem. This project aims to identify, evaluate, and plan for safety enhancements that will prioritize safety for all transportation users in the City, informed by engagement with communities that experience greater transportation vulnerability.
Project Overview
This project is funded by a federal SS4A planning grant which the City was awarded to create a prioritized Safety Action Plan. Between now and fall 2025, the City will work with the Salem community to create this Safety Action Plan.
- Understanding Current Safety Issues: Fatal and severe crashes have grown across the nation in the past several years. The project team has researched where recorded crashes have occurred around Salem to understand which areas are most hazardous, and for which road users.
- Engaging the Salem Community: Broad public participation will inform the Action Plan. Multiple opportunities and ways for the Salem community to contribute to the citywide vision will be offered, and the discussion will continue after this project is complete.
- Prioritizing Safety Enhancements: Based on the citywide vision to improve transportation safety and existing practices, the SAP will highlight specific projects prioritized by location and impact over various timelines.
Click here to find out more about this project.
How to Get Involved
Throughout this planning process, the project team will be reaching out to the community for their input, advice, and perspectives on how and where to make safety improvements. Currently, the City of Salem is collecting survey responses to understand transportation safety conditions, barriers, and needs of the Salem community. Click on the link below to take the survey!
